Air suspensions include leveling valves that can be adjusted to change a ride height of the air suspension. With current air suspensions, ride height is set by, and adjusted by, a mechanical linkage that is attached to the leveling valves. This mechanical linkage must be manually actuated by an operator to adjust ride height. One disadvantage with this system is that the mechanical linkage adds complexity, is labor intensive and increases weight. Additionally, operators do not always set the ride height at a proper level based on vehicle application and/or payload.
Other types of suspensions systems, such as adaptive, semi-active, and active suspensions use accelerometers and/or displacement transducers to determine wheel position and wheel velocity. This information is then used to adjust right height as needed. One disadvantage with this configuration is that the additional components, i.e. accelerometers and displacement transducers, increase the cost of the suspension system.
Thus, there is a need for a simplified method and apparatus for adjusting ride height that eliminates the need for accelerometers and transducers, eliminates potential operator error, and which overcomes the other above-mentioned difficulties in the prior art.